Class of 2018

I think I lost my mind.

The BS bucket at Megacorp has overflowed. It is just unbelievable. I'm on OMY to sync with DW, who gets a very good health benefit in OMY.

Today I found myself applying for jobs at various Kilocorps. What am I doing? Am I crazy? I figure even a year or two there at less pay is better than Megacorp. But why not just retire?

Mostly it is the sync with DW. But when I like my job, I really like it. While reworking the resume, I realized that Megacorp has marched me into some dark corner. It can be better. I just have to get out of the dark.

Or maybe I should just retire.

These are the doubts of OMY....
 
I know. I honestly can't decide if I am just desperately tired of this job or wanting to retire. I think its this job really, as I find myself daydreaming about other jobs and not retirement.

This job pays very well though, and I might not be able to find another one that pays as well. Probably wouldn't- Fortunately I have saved my pennies and really don't ever have to work again, much less for this amount of money. We only spend about a third of my pay, and I could find a job covering that easily. I just feel like I'm crazy to quit a job that pays so much. But I am SO TIRED OF IT!
 
JoeWras said:
But why not just retire?

Mostly it is the sync with DW. But when I like my job, I really like it. While reworking the resume, I realized that Megacorp has marched me into some dark corner. It can be better. I just have to get out of the dark.

Or maybe I should just retire.

These are the doubts of OMY....
Click to expand...

Maybe you'd be better off NOT retiring at the same time as your wife- retirement is surely a big adjustment and probably doesn't always go smoothly- maybe you ought to start a new thread and ask if other members advise retiring at the same time as a spouse or not..
 
It has been discussed from time to time in various threads. Both methods worked and didn't work for various couples. I don't think anyone came to a consensus on the best method.

There was also a lot of talk about what NOT to do based on the various methods. ("You didn't clean the house today, why not? What do you do while I'm at work?!" ... etc.)

You're right, I may start a new thread to rekindle the discussion.
 
Time for my yearly checkup. In a matter of a few hours, we officially enter true OMY territory! :dance:

But, O my brothers and sisters, your narrator is faltering in his resolve. It started a bit with the discussion above about syncing with the DH/DW. It got me and DW thinking maybe we should offset our time and ease into it.

Then, like a bolt from the blue, I got a mail from an old co-w*rker who is happy at a KiloCorp. I just randomly took a peak at their web site and saw a job listing that literally hit me in the head like a ton of bricks. It is what I used to do, and what I want to do.

I realized that like a frog in a pot, where the water is slowly being heated, I've been boiled at Megacorp. I did everything they asked, and it ultimately meant doing a job I could do, but not a job I wanted to do. My boiled job is why ended up on this site some 6 years ago. The bucket is full. And I wanted it empty. Suddenly, I realized there may be another type of bucket.

So, about that job. I couldn't believe what I was reading. The job hits so many of my happy places, I was just blown away. So I refreshed my resume and submitted an application. All in about 1 hour. I not only got through the application process and chosen, but I've also had a few phone interviews. I have another round or so to go, but I'm amazed that my application wasn't just trashed.

What's next? I don't know. 5/1/18 is still the official plan. But if KiloCorp gives me an offer, and I like the work as much as it is written in paper, I would probably give it a 3 year spin or so.

And why not? Something different. I can always walk. But this job gives me one final chance to use my software skills in a different way, for a consumer product that can change lives. Why not try?

This may all end up nowhere. We've already discussed salary, and it would mean a cut. I don't care, but they may get cold feet by my desire to take a pretty steep cut.

More later...
 
congrats! I'm glad you are so excited about this job opportunity- and like you said, if it doesn't work out, you can quit, per original plan.

Like you, I suspect my focus on retirement comes from burnout. I am well compensated though, and didn't want to quit till I didn't HAVE to work anymore, because while I could easily get another job, it wouldn't pay this much. I am there, though. I am going to take a year off after I quit, but if something comes along after that, and I would enjoy it more than I like being retired (unlikely) I will just become un-retired.
 
ugeauxgirl said:
Like you, I suspect my focus on retirement comes from burnout. I am well compensated though, and didn't want to quit till I didn't HAVE to work anymore, because while I could easily get another job, it wouldn't pay this much.
Click to expand...
Yep.

If I get the job and do this, it would be a 20% hit. I have enough. I'm F.I. So this doesn't matter. But it isn't necessarily easy, because firms are suspect of you if you are willing to take such a hit.

What I'm finding in my field is a cultural disparity of haves and have nots. I've been with the "haves" for a while now. I and my colleagues have tunnel vision. It isn't just my corp, it is many others based in a certain geographical region. Expectations have become out of whack. Some of it just cultural for a "center of the universe" thinking, and some of it due to the cost of housing.

What I'm finding is there is a different world out there that operates at a different pace, but with different pay. Along with that different attitudes and different ways of thinking.

It is analogous to what we discuss here all the time. Less pay, LBYM versus more pay, more spending. Etc.
 
Milestone- 2 mil!

So yesterday we crossed 2 mil in liquid assets. I said I would retire at 1.5 mil (4%wd) as we live on about 60k a year and everything we own is paid for, but I talked myself out of it. So now we are at a 3% w/d rate and my husband has absolutely no intention of quitting.

I suspect he will slow down a bit when I quit- but he could work a third less than he is now and we wouldn't have to touch our investments at all. I don't know how long he plans on doing this, but I suspect we wouldn't draw anything for 3 years and maybe 1% for 3 more years. He's older than me (53) but can't see himself retiring completely till 60 if ever.

So honestly I'm done. There is a big law change in my industry, that I wanted to stay to help my clients through it, but the new administration is likely to kill it- or delay it beyond the length of time I am willing to stay. Why am I still working again?
 
Final Performance Review

Just had my final performance review today. :dance: "They" don't know that! Now to throw together the required Development Plan for this year. Unfortunately, they don't think Retire is an acceptable plan.
 
cat wrangler said:
Just had my final performance review today. :dance: "They" don't know that! Now to throw together the required Development Plan for this year. Unfortunately, they don't think Retire is an acceptable plan.
Click to expand...

Love that. I am already enjoying my year of "last time I ever have to - whatever" I just declined an "invitation" to the last spring meeting I will be around to attend. I'm pretty sure I'll get a phone call asking why I won't be attending. the real reason (its a strategic planning meeting and I won't be around for anything we're planning- also I don't want to) might not go over well. I better think of some excuse...
 
Last edited:
JoeWras said:
And why not? Something different. I can always walk. But this job gives me one final chance to use my software skills in a different way, for a consumer product that can change lives. Why not try?

This may all end up nowhere. We've already discussed salary, and it would mean a cut. I don't care, but they may get cold feet by my desire to take a pretty steep cut.

More later...
Click to expand...

As a software architect, I am considering switching to a less-stressful role of doing just software development as opposing to leading others and playing politics. It will be one level lower with a salary cut of about 10%. I would give it a two-year try and finally retire after countless years of OMY. :facepalm:
 
another "last time I ever have to"

Today I found out that our team won the only award I care about- customer service. My assistant was happy, then at the end of the email read that the requirements for winning the same award for next year are changing. She immediately stalked to her desk mumbling about how to make sure we win it next year. I smiled because i won't BE here for the next one....
 
ugeauxgirl said:
I'm afraid you're going to have to take me off of this one. revised date 2/24/2020.:yuk:
Click to expand...

I may be slipping along with you, ugeaugirl. But not for benefits. Rather, DW is taking my place and definitely (100%, I hear it every day!) graduating in 2018. We decided to offset our dates to reduce risk, so I'm either 2019 or 2020. And I started this thread?

Then again, Megacorp may make the choice for me, so I haven't officially bowed out yet.
 
Sorry to lose you both from the Class of 2018. Are there any others out there who are in the Class of 2018. Pretty small Class as it stands.
 
Since we need people for the class of 2018 I'm stepping up. I intend to give my boss the first hint that I am seriously thinking of retiring in a few months. My initial intro posting from 2/2014:

Hi All - Have been reading some good stuff on this forum and I am learning a lot. My situation is that I am 59 and have a good news/bad news situation. I live in what most people would consider a good size house on about 10 acres. If I were to sell out and down size I could probably retire tomorrow. The thing is that I really like where I live. My health is good and I like being outside working around my house and property (yes even in the summer in SW FL). My wife no longer works and I am fortunate enough that I get to work out of my home as a tele-commuter. As a result I have older cars with no payments. My only debt is my mortgage which is $300k. The house is worth about $850k. My stash between pre-tax retirement savings and others is $700k (about 600k is pre-tax). The kids are grown and on their own. My annual expenses with the mortgage payment would normally be about $60k. It has actually been about $84k because I have been throwing lots of extra money at the mortgage (after contributing the max towards the 401k). I am fortunate enough that I get a $30k (gross) per year pension that I have been collecting for the last 12 years. Without the mortgage we could easily live (even in this house) on about $30k net. Some day SS would make this even more tenable.

My plan is to pay off the mortgage. My combination salary and pension makes it possible to aggressively pay extra principal each month so it will take me about 3.5 more years to pay it off. My main concern is that I will be involuntarily retired. While I have a good job it is tied to the healthcare industry which as we all know is in quite a tizzy these days. If something happens to my job my ability to rapidly pay of my mortgage disappears and the house basically then becomes a big drag on my ability to retire.


Since then there have been some changes:

The mortgage is down to $84k
I traded my pension for a lump sum payment. As a result my stash is now a little north of $1.4M
All the calculators tell me that even with my current mortgage payment I am good to go now. So I've decided that the house free and clear is my safety net. At the rate I have been throwing money at the mortgage I should be done with it sometime next year. So barring any more OMY waffling 2018 is it for me!
 
almost_there said:
Since we need people for the class of 2018 I'm stepping up. I intend to give my boss the first hint that I am seriously thinking of retiring in a few months. My initial intro posting from 2/2014:

Hi All - Have been reading some good stuff on this forum and I am learning a lot. My situation is that I am 59 and have a good news/bad news situation. I live in what most people would consider a good size house on about 10 acres. If I were to sell out and down size I could probably retire tomorrow. The thing is that I really like where I live. My health is good and I like being outside working around my house and property (yes even in the summer in SW FL). My wife no longer works and I am fortunate enough that I get to work out of my home as a tele-commuter. As a result I have older cars with no payments. My only debt is my mortgage which is $300k. The house is worth about $850k. My stash between pre-tax retirement savings and others is $700k (about 600k is pre-tax). The kids are grown and on their own. My annual expenses with the mortgage payment would normally be about $60k. It has actually been about $84k because I have been throwing lots of extra money at the mortgage (after contributing the max towards the 401k). I am fortunate enough that I get a $30k (gross) per year pension that I have been collecting for the last 12 years. Without the mortgage we could easily live (even in this house) on about $30k net. Some day SS would make this even more tenable.

My plan is to pay off the mortgage. My combination salary and pension makes it possible to aggressively pay extra principal each month so it will take me about 3.5 more years to pay it off. My main concern is that I will be involuntarily retired. While I have a good job it is tied to the healthcare industry which as we all know is in quite a tizzy these days. If something happens to my job my ability to rapidly pay of my mortgage disappears and the house basically then becomes a big drag on my ability to retire.


Since then there have been some changes:

The mortgage is down to $84k
I traded my pension for a lump sum payment. As a result my stash is now a little north of $1.4M
All the calculators tell me that even with my current mortgage payment I am good to go now. So I've decided that the house free and clear is my safety net. At the rate I have been throwing money at the mortgage I should be done with it sometime next year. So barring any more OMY waffling 2018 is it for me!
Click to expand...

Sounds like you're good although not golden. The concern for me would be the health care if any serious illness. I would think as long as you keep your conservative spending in check you should be fine with your 1.4 + 30K pension. Taxes should not be an issue in the near term but as you turn toward 70+ it may be? With no mortgage things should be well:).
On another note I think we are right behind you, thinking of Dec 18 @ age 58 yrs young if all goes well. We should have just about 80K net pensions and 700K in investments, not counting my SS and small gov pension (7K) at 62 or later. Enjoy while you can :dance:
 
Joining the Class of 2018!

My target date is August 1, 2018. The numbers work, according to both my departed and my new financial adviser. I must have done 500 online retirement analyses, too! Of course, the market could crash, but I've already lowered my risk. My consumption stays level or rises slightly. I'm definitely not as well off as most here, but my ace is a golden retirement health care plan. Everyday I appreciate more and more how much money that accounts for.

I am so happy!!! I also have a one year's allotment of vacation days I've carried over, so I get to use up two years' worth in this last year. Even with a couple of vacations, that means that, with some planning to take into account holidays and vacations, I can make most, not all, but most of my workweeks into 4 days - starting now. I'm taking next Wednesday off to test my hypothesis that, for me, breaking up the workweek in the middle will make it fly past.

I will be 62 at retirement. That's not really early retirement, but it's certainly not late!

This last year is going to be full of milestones, and I'm also buying a new car to replace my 15 year old servant. I can start thinking about what trip I want to take to celebrate. :D:D:D
 
OK, I realize this is already out of date because some people are delaying their retirement year, but since it was asked, and since I'm the sole entry for August 2018, I'll copy it here!

I just read an article stating that people who retired early risked early cognitive decline - fie on that! It's my work that has killed brain cells. Filing unit assessment reports. Submitting the same forms repeatedly because the new online system can't coordinate. Sending polite requests for information to people 3 times because they don't respond - I just worry that my brain has been permanently affected by the nonsense.

As I mentioned, I realized that I could probably get by most weeks with a 4 day workweek if I utilized my days off to that end (e.g. NOT taking Monday, July 3, off, in order to save that day for a week without a holiday). This scheduling ambition began last week with Memorial Day making a 4 day workweek. Next week, I'm taking Wednesday off to make a 4 day workweek. I contacted a retired friend and we are going hiking. Hoping that this makes my final year go really fast!

Unspecified Month
Grumpyretirement
Rickt (58)
boilerman (57)
RoyDornoch (60)
trapperjohn
datuck
Snoopy (55)
Lovetoski (46)
seabourne (39)
ugeauxgirl (46)

January
chief04010 1/2
cat wrangler

February

March
Nunyaa
38Chevy454 3/1 (54)

April
whatnot 4/1
timo2 4/28 (65)

May
Joe Wras 5/1 (55)
SumDay 5/31

June
Bigdawg

July

August
Pellice (62)

September

October
FIREmenow

November

December
 
Pellice - Thank you for making the list. It looks like we have a relatively small Class.
 
Added myself again.

Unspecified Month
Grumpyretirement
Rickt (58)
boilerman (57)
RoyDornoch (60)
trapperjohn
datuck
Snoopy (55)
Lovetoski (46)
seabourne (39)
ugeauxgirl (46)

January
chief04010 1/2
cat wrangler

February

March
Nunyaa
38Chevy454 3/1 (54)

April
whatnot 4/1
timo2 4/28 (65)

May
Joe Wras 5/1 (55)
SumDay 5/31

June
Bigdawg

July
Dan4495 (60)

August
Pellice (62)

September

October
FIREmenow

November

December
 
Pellice: Thanks for putting the list together.

You may take my name off .....I am retiring next week on June 15, 2017!

Best Wises to all,
Rick
 
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